I've Got A Secret

Medical Update: Well, doctor #2 says my foot is not as bad as doctor #1 said it was. Hurts just the same and the treatment is just the same whichever doctor is right. But I’m on the mend, more or less.

Post Secrets is updated every Sunday so every Monday I check out the Post Secrets website at http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ .

On that site a gentleman in Maryland displays postcards folks mail to him as they anonymously reveal some secret they’ve been keeping.

Some secrets are heart wrenching. Some are hilarious. All are fascinating.

Every time I look at these secrets they remind me of how I goof over the three things Jesus said we should all keep secret.

“When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”.

I suspect Jesus wants us to give in secret for two reasons. First, to save us from embarrassment. If other people really knew how little I give, I’d be ashamed. The pittance I give doesn’t amount to beans.

Saw a cartoon once of a guy talking with his pastor. Guy says, “I’m concerned about world hunger, about AIDS in Africa, about the homeless, about cancer victims and the plight of unwed mothers. I want to volunteer my help to relieve suffering, aid the needy, and spread the Gospel of light throughout the world. I’m free to volunteer between 2 and 4 p.m. every other Thursday”.

I identify with the cartoon guy.

I piddle about giving a buck or an hour here and there, now and then, when it strikes my fancy. I slip God a little pocket change … And I feel proud of myself for these pitiful acts of charity.

For Heaven’s sake! I’ve even written magazine articles about my own generosity.

But Jesus said we should keep our giving secret… it is really nothing to brag about.

I think the second reason Jesus said to keep our giving a secret is to emphasize that our faith is strictly between us and God. The Lord is real. Christianity is real. If I really have faith in Him, then there is no room or need for showboating. If I’m convinced that my relationship with God is real, valid, then there’s no reason to show it off to anybody else.

Dose that mean hiding my light under a basket?

No. People in darkness will see a light if there really is a light and they can tell the difference between a lighthouse and a glowworm.

Jesus also said, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray… to be seen of men. … When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”.

We are to give in secret and to pray in secret.

Why?

Those of us who are even remotely religious face a temptation to show off our religion. We support a whole bumper sticker industry! We want folks to know we are special… but when I boast of my own piety, I’m simply using Jesus to enhance my own reputation.

That’s not honest.

It's dumb.

Again, if folks knew how little I actually pray, I’d be ashamed of my lukewarm attitude toward God Almighty.

And again, if I really believe in the Unseen God, I don’t cheapen Him by displaying my own piety. It’s wise to pray in secret and to avoid public prayer. Want to pray? Go in the men’s room and lock yourself in a stall… Er, I don’t recommend kneeling to pray in that environment, sitting is ok.

But isn’t praying in the bathroom irreverent?

Why should it be?

Hasn’t God ever caught us with our pants down before?

Jesus said to keep my prayers secret.

Even if I boast to some poor slob, “I’ll pray for you”, the implication is that I’m above him in my own imagined spiritual hierarchy. The superior prays for the inferior. I’ve got this special in with God and my prayers count more than yours. Nayah. Nayah. Nayah.

But, if I really believe God hears my prayers, then I don’t need to make my prayers obvious to anybody else; God himself will make His answers to prayer evident…

Or don’t we believe that?

So, what do I do about praying in secret myself?

I believe in secret prayer so much that I wrote a book about it! A book that’s been translated into several languages and spread all over the world. No secret prayer for me.

No wonder I’m confused about prayer!

So, if Jesus said I should keep secret my giving and my praying, and instead, I’ve written whole books and articles on these very subjects, Where does that leave me?

Let’s not go there…OK?

Here’s another thing Jesus said to keep secret:

“When you fast, do not look somber… But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”.

To fast means to go without food in order to devote yourself to prayer, service or something else more important that eating.

When we do this, we should fast so that it will not be obvious to men…

Along with giving and praying, it should be kept secret.

I’m home free here!

I’m a winner on this one.

Look at a photo of me anywhere on my website or this blog.

Look at that photo close.

Go ahead, guess my weight.

Now, would anybody anywhere ever ever ever suspect how often I go without food?

This one secret thing out of the three that I’ve got down pat!